Food cooking machine operators and tenders salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,680 | $15.23 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $41,590 | $20.00 |
| Mean (average) | $42,570 | $20.47 |
| 90th percentile | $54,410 | $26.16 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Food cooking machine operators and tenders pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 42 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27,080 | $23,000 | $45,200 | 250 | 0.59 |
| Arizona | $44,050 | $32,210 | $51,970 | 560 | 0.87 |
| Arkansas | $40,480 | $34,660 | $48,930 | 330 | 1.27 |
| California | $44,740 | $35,770 | $53,340 | 2,010 | 0.55 |
| Colorado | $46,900 | $40,100 | $62,620 | 300 | 0.51 |
| Connecticut | $38,880 | $34,010 | $49,680 | 60 | 0.17 |
| Delaware | $31,240 | $31,240 | $39,530 | ||
| Florida | $36,450 | $29,800 | $47,550 | 970 | 0.49 |
| Georgia | $38,440 | $31,500 | $49,280 | 690 | 0.71 |
| Idaho | $45,120 | $36,630 | $75,380 | 790 | 4.6 |
| Illinois | $42,670 | $32,480 | $51,320 | 2,460 | 2.01 |
| Indiana | $43,350 | $38,820 | $51,730 | 540 | 0.83 |
| Iowa | $47,900 | $43,410 | $52,020 | 850 | 2.72 |
| Kansas | $45,850 | $33,330 | $50,030 | 750 | 2.58 |
| Kentucky | $41,800 | $36,360 | $52,990 | 300 | 0.74 |
| Louisiana | $44,440 | $18,680 | $61,360 | 550 | 1.43 |
| Maine | $37,500 | $35,990 | $53,150 | 170 | 1.34 |
| Maryland | $36,960 | $33,530 | $40,090 | ||
| Massachusetts | $47,960 | $37,760 | $56,530 | 170 | 0.24 |
| Michigan | $47,260 | $39,980 | $54,440 | 380 | 0.43 |
| Minnesota | $47,250 | $46,660 | $49,770 | 1,410 | 2.38 |
| Mississippi | $31,150 | $21,730 | $35,340 | 110 | 0.47 |
| Missouri | $42,160 | $28,810 | $57,020 | 620 | 1.05 |
| Nebraska | $45,420 | $34,910 | $57,390 | 670 | 3.25 |
| Nevada | $36,610 | $31,270 | $47,510 | ||
| New Hampshire | $40,440 | $34,100 | $50,170 | 110 | 0.82 |
| New Jersey | $37,180 | $32,220 | $45,170 | 430 | 0.5 |
| New York | $45,680 | $36,300 | $60,250 | 1,300 | 0.67 |
| North Carolina | $39,070 | $28,770 | $46,430 | 770 | 0.78 |
| Ohio | $41,160 | $33,740 | $55,430 | 980 | 0.88 |
| Oklahoma | $36,030 | $35,680 | $45,490 | 1,140 | 3.33 |
| Oregon | $44,530 | $36,450 | $55,770 | 570 | 1.44 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,710 | $34,960 | $51,520 | 1,580 | 1.3 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,480 | $23,380 | $27,830 | 220 | 1.14 |
| South Carolina | $38,220 | $36,520 | $46,370 | 520 | 1.13 |
| South Dakota | $39,270 | $31,280 | $48,890 | 120 | 1.33 |
| Tennessee | $45,620 | $35,100 | $62,560 | 1,820 | 2.76 |
| Texas | $33,980 | $25,480 | $45,460 | 3,180 | 1.12 |
| Utah | $48,620 | $31,850 | $52,830 | 390 | 1.12 |
| Virginia | $35,140 | $31,480 | $48,800 | 510 | 0.61 |
| Washington | $51,100 | $41,060 | $60,660 | 310 | 0.43 |
| Wisconsin | $40,000 | $35,000 | $60,400 | 850 | 1.44 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
- Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
- Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
- Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
- Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
- Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
- Remove cooked material or products from equipment.
Technology skills
- Database software
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Cooker Operator, Food Production Worker, Fryer Operator, Kettle Fry Cook Operator, Machine Operator, Mogul Operator, Oven Operator, Peeler Operator, Retort Operator, Thermo Processor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make?
The national median annual wage for food cooking machine operators and tenders was $41,590 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $31,680 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $54,410. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do food cooking machine operators and tenders need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is food cooking machine operators and tenders a growing career?
BLS projects employment of food cooking machine operators and tenders to change -0.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay food cooking machine operators and tenders the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($51,100), Utah ($48,620), Massachusetts ($47,960). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.